Curtain-stretcher.



G. FREIWALD.

CURTAIN STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED maze, Isle.

1,298,323. Patented Mar. 25,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Hi 1" mg w| ESSES Q ATTOR N EY a. FREIWALD. CURTAIN STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 26| NIB.

1 ,298,323. Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WI%ESSES INVENTOR ATTO RN EY GUSTAV FREIW ALD, PORTLAND, OREGON.

GURTAIN-STRETCHER.

Application filed February 26, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUSTAV FREIWALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to curtain-stretchers or frames for stretching lace curtains while drying.

The object of the invention is to provide a curtain stretcher constructed to insure correctness of stretching both in length and width, and to rapidly effect both the attachment and removal of a curtain.

Another object is to construct a stretcher which when disassembled may be folded into a very small space for transportation or storage.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure -1 represents a top plan view of a curtain stretcher constructed in accordance with this invention shown in open operative position such as it assumes when the curtain is applied thereto, parts being broken out,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof,

Fig. 4c is a detail enlarged end elevation,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view,

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 isan enlarged detail plan view showing the joint for connecting the sections of the side rods.

In the embodiment illustrated, a plurality of folding trusses 1 are employed, three being here shown, the legs 2 and 3 of each truss being connected at their points of intersection by a sectional rod 4 which also connects the various trusses. (See Figs. 1 and 2).

The upper ends of the legs 2 and 3 of the trusses are connected by side bars 5 and 6 shown in the form of sectional rods, the sections of which are detachably connected and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Serial No. 219,290.

are here shown held in operative position by wing nuts 7, similar nuts 7 being employed for holding the sections of the rod 4: in adjusted position.

An adjustable cross bar 8 is mounted to shde on the rods 5 and 6 and is recessed or slotted as shown at 9 to receive rod 5. This bar 8, together with said rods 5 and 6 is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending longitudinally spaced curtain receiving hooks 10, any desired number of which may be employed, said hooks being spaced apart usually about an inch or so, but obviously they may be arranged to engage a curtain to be stretched through each-of the edge scallops thereof, which are usually found on lace curtains.

A stationary end bar 11, connects the rods or side bars 5 and 6 at one end, and may be secured to said rods by any suitable means. The end bar 11 is composed of hingedly connected sections 12, preferably of the same length, and which are connected at their meeting endsby the joint shown at 13 in Figs. 1 and 7. In the form shown, one of the sections 12 has its inner end reduced to form a tongue 14 which is inserted between the furcations 15 of the other section and held clampingly engaged therewith by a set screw 16. The rods 5 and 6 extend through the outer ends of the sections 12 and are secured by means of pins 17 which extend through the ends of the rods 5 and 6 outside the cross 'bar 11.

The trusses 1, three of which are here shown, are each constructed as clearly illustrated in'Fig. 3, the legs 2 and 3 intersecting each other and pivotally connected by the rod 4, the upper ends of said legs being pivotally' engaged with the rods 5 and 6, rod 5 being shown at one end extended through a longitudinally extending slot 1.8 formed in one of the sections 12 and at its other end through recess 9 in bar 8, (see Fig. 5) so as to permit the legs 2 and 3'to open and close when the stretcher is to be collapsed or expanded. The lower ends of the legs 2 and 3 are provided on their upper edges with a plurality of screw eyes 19, any desired number of which may be employed, three being here shown on each leg spaced longitudinally apart and which are designed to form anchors for the adjustable connection of coiled springs 20 which are connected at one end with the upper end of the legs 2 and 3 and at their lower ends with one 7 tion as shownrin Fig. 3 and to hold the' of the eyes 19 on the lowerendof the other leg, for instance, one sprlng is connected 7 at its upper end with the upper end of leg j 2 and'rat its lower end with the lower end of,

leg 3 so thatthese springs exert their tensionto yieldably hold the legs in setup posicurtain carrying portion of the frame in open stretched condition, 7

A bar 21 is pivotally connected atone end with the upper end of leg 2 and is provided in its lower edge with a plurality of notches 22 which are designed to be adjustably engaged with a laterally projecting pin 23 carried by the upper end of leg 3 and which operates to hold said legs in spread open adjusted position (see 'Fig. In the use of this stretcher, the sections of rods 4:, 5, and 6, having been assembled and alined as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stretcher is opened for about three-fourths of the width of the curtain to be stretched thereon, and which is obviously accomplished by opening out the trusses which are designed to support the stretcher. The length 'of/the curtain to be stretched having been ascertained, the adjustable cross bar '8 is posi- *of which are engaged with the hooks 10 car 'tioned to receive the opposite ends thereof,

and they are then tightened in this position by meansrof the set screws or :wing'nu'ts 2i as'shown clearly in Fig. 5. The stretcher is then ready, to receivethe curtain, the ends ried by the cross bars Sand 11. After the curtain has been engaged at its opposite ends with thecross'ba-rs '8. and 11, the

stretcher is opened out and the side edges engagedwith the hooks-10 carried by the side bars 5 and-6. Ajfterso attaching the curtain the stretcher is; opened to its full extent, the bar 21 Jbeing engaged with the pin '23 to hold the legs of the trusses in open relation. The springs 20- are then engaged f truss legs to cause a slack in the curtain so that it may be readily detached from the hooksvlO; After the curtain is removed, the stretcher is ready for the application of an- 7 other curtain which may be put in place in ."the mannerabove described, thesprings connected up and the bars 21 fastened operation again repeated. 7 a

,From the above description it will be oband the vious that a curtain stretched on this frame I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7

will be uniform in both width and length,

and while'the device may be slightly more complicated than some others in use, the

convenience afforded and the correctness Of stretching in length and width Wlll more than compensate for the additional expense 1 of manufacture. When the stretcher is not in use it may be folded into a very small space by collapsing the sections of rods 5 and -6 in anobe V vious manner.

'From the foregoing description, taken in' connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and while I have described theprinciple of operation of the invention together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment 7 rexpansible and contractib'le to vary the height of the stretcher, a locking bar pivotally connected at one end :to one leg of one of 'said'trusses, the other leg of said truss and said bar having cooperating interlocking means for holding the truss in adjusted position.

2, In a curtain stretcher, a plurality Of folding trusses, side bars connecting the upper ends of said trusses and provided with curtain engagingmeans, said trusses being' expansible and contract-ible to vary the height of the stretcher, and resilient means for holding said trusses in expanded position.

3. In a curtain stretcher, a plurality of folding trusses, side bars connecting the upper ends of said trusses and provided With curtain engaging means, sa-id trusse's being expansible and contracti'bjle to vary the height of the stretcher, coiled springs connected at one end to the upper ends of the legs of the trusses at onesideand atrtheir other ends to the lowerrends of the other legs, one spring connecting the upper end 'i of one truss leg and the lower end of the other.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

' GUSTAV FREIWALD. Witnesses W. H. POWELL, Geo. W. CALDWELL.

7 Washington, D. O. V 

